Birthday Girl
The main lodge was decorated as if for a child. Neela hadn’t had a party since she was eight so the balloons and streamers made her giddy with pleasure. The pile of brightly wrapped presents astonished and thrilled her. She didn’t feel any real urge to open them because she was afraid the magic of them would disappear once the paper went away. All around her the pack laughed and barked happily at each other, celebrating the joy of being together as much as her survival of another year.
Jacob and his beta, Sean, had gone off to do some mysterious thing in the kitchen. Neela thought it might have to do with alcohol so she left them to it and played a game of tag with the youngest members of the pack. They were both in their wolf forms which gave them the advantage, but she wasn’t above cheating and hiding behind their parents.
Just as Jacob returned, laden with large jugs full of something smelling of honey and laughter, Orla pulled her aside to whisper in her ear. “You’d best tell him, lass, before everyone can see it.”
Neela looked at her friend oddly, completely thrown by the instruction. Slowly realization dawned and she rested her hand lightly on her belly. Her eyes went to Jacob. When he met her eyes his expression was an eerie echo of hers from a moment before. Then he lifted his head and howled as loudly as his human form would allow; the sound one of pure joy.
Neela woke with that sound echoing in her mind. She curled so tightly around Jacob he grunted in his sleep. With her heart in her throat she clung too him praying with all her heart that the dream had in fact been a true vision of the future.
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Jacob and his beta, Sean, had gone off to do some mysterious thing in the kitchen. Neela thought it might have to do with alcohol so she left them to it and played a game of tag with the youngest members of the pack. They were both in their wolf forms which gave them the advantage, but she wasn’t above cheating and hiding behind their parents.
Just as Jacob returned, laden with large jugs full of something smelling of honey and laughter, Orla pulled her aside to whisper in her ear. “You’d best tell him, lass, before everyone can see it.”
Neela looked at her friend oddly, completely thrown by the instruction. Slowly realization dawned and she rested her hand lightly on her belly. Her eyes went to Jacob. When he met her eyes his expression was an eerie echo of hers from a moment before. Then he lifted his head and howled as loudly as his human form would allow; the sound one of pure joy.
Neela woke with that sound echoing in her mind. She curled so tightly around Jacob he grunted in his sleep. With her heart in her throat she clung too him praying with all her heart that the dream had in fact been a true vision of the future.
304